Anthropic introduced Claude Duet on Wednesday, a new application that allows Claude to act as a proactive agent for professionals and small business owners. The company announced the release on Oct. 21, positioning the tool to handle routine operational duties such as purchasing business supplies.
How Claude Duet Operates
The application is built around Claude Opus 5.5. According to Anthropic, the system is designed to be resourceful, determining which tasks require immediate attention and which can wait. It checks with the user before taking action on their behalf, a feature the company describes as central to its utility.
Claude Duet accesses memory, skills, and connected applications from the user’s Claude account to maintain context. It continues to work even when the user’s laptop or phone is turned off. The agent periodically checks connected accounts and sends notifications when a task is complete or requires review.
The system utilizes more than 6,000 connectors and plug-ins available in the Claude Marketplace to integrate with various tools. Before sending a message, making a payment, signing a document, or deleting files, the agent waits for explicit user approval.
Purchasing and Payment Integration
A key feature of the agent is its ability to handle commercial transactions. Users can employ Claude Duet to buy items for their business using Stripe’s digital wallet, Link. The process involves Claude confirming the item with the user, after which Link requests approval for the spend. The payment is then processed using a virtual card, ensuring that the user’s real card number is not shared with merchants. The agent can also use Shop Pay from Shopify to check out at online stores.
Anthropic made Claude Duet available to Pro and Max subscribers in the United States via a waitlist on Wednesday. The company stated in its announcement that the agent’s judgment is its primary value, allowing it to decide when to check with the user first.
The launch adds to a growing field of personal AI agents. Meta’s Muse was downloaded more than 10 million times in the United States and Canada during its first 35 days, according to Sensor Tower. OpenAI launched dots on Sept. 29, describing these agents as tools built to handle comprehensive tasks. Instinct, a builder of personal AI agents, raised $1 billion in Series C funding and reached a $10 billion valuation on Sept. 28. xAI also announced on Sept. 26 that its Grok Bot can now connect to user finances in read-only mode to assist with spending and investment management.
Source: PYMNTS
